Modern Middle Eastern Art and the Museum

This course focuses on the intertwined histories of modern Middle Eastern art and the institution of the museum. It begins with an examination of the art historical sub-disciplines Global Modern Art and Islamic Art, and investigates how they have engaged (or refused to engage) with modern Middle Eastern art. We will learn about the development of modern art in the Middle East, specifically in the fields of painting, printmaking, and photography. We will examine the work and life of fascinating modern artists, including the Ottoman painter and curator Osman Hamdi Bey, the Iranian artist Kamal al-Mulk, the Armenian-Iranian photographer Antoin Sevruguin, and the Turkish-Jordanian painter Fahrelnissa Zeid, as well as avantgarde movements such as the Iranian Saqqakhaneh school.